The present invention relates to a tape cassette loading apparatus.
The conventional tape cassette loading apparatus shown in Japanese Patent Publication No.57-58746 comprises flat spring which pushes and holds a tape cassette in a holder, a mechanism which supports the holder movably between a cassette insert/eject position and a cassette loading position, and a coil spring which forces the holder toward the cassette insert/eject position. In the tape cassette loading apparatus, the tape cassette is manually inserted into the holder against the force of the flat spring and manually moved with the holder to the cassette loading position against the force of the coil spring. Incidentally, since the case of the tape cassette is made of synthetic resin including an antistatic conductive agent, electrostatic voltage of several thousand to several tens of thousands generated during reviewing or cueing of the tape cassette is prevented from being charged in the case.
Incidentally, another tape cassette loading apparatus in which, when the tape cassette is inserted and/or ejected, the holder is opened quickly during the first half of the operation of the holder and slowly during the second half thereof and softly stopped, as shown in FIG. 1I, so as to emit a high-grade atmosphere, has been proposed. FIG. 1 shows a relationship between an opening speed and the opening angle of the holder. The holder opens from the cassette loading position P.sub.0 to the cassette insert/eject position P.sub.3. The tape cassette is inserted into or ejected from the holder located at the cassette insert/eject position, and it is loaded into the tape cassette loading apparatus when the holder is located at the cassette loading position. This tape cassette loading apparatus further comprises a damper mechanism for absorbing the opening speed of the holder.
However, the above conventional tape cassette loading apparatuses have the following disadvantages:
1. Because of the presence of both the coil spring and the flat spring, the number of elements increases and the assembling operation becomes troublesome and complicated.
2. It is inconvenient to manually move the holder with the tape cassette against the flat spring and the coil spring.
3. Although it is conceivable to remove the electrostatic voltage applied on the tape cassette by grounding the flat spring, since the flat spring is coupled with the tape cassette by means of a point contact or a line contact, it cannot completely remove the electrostatic voltage. Therefore, dust often get attached to the tape surface of the tape cassette to damage it, and consequently the output signal outputted from the tape cassette often drops out.
4. If the opening speed of the holder is absorbed only by the damper, the relationship between the opening speed and angle cannot duplicate the course of the ideal line shown in FIG. 1I, but instead reveals the line shown in FIG. 1II, in which the holder cannot sufficiently decelerate and fails to emit the high-grade atmosphere. On the other hand, if the damper having a stronger damper effect is used, the holder is decelerated during the first half of the operation thereof, and consequently it takes a lot of time to move to the cassette insert/eject position.